Óleos vegetais amazônicos: saberes e ensino de Ciências Ambientais

Abstract

The Amazon region boasts a rich diversity of oilseed plants, whose traditional uses reflect ancestral knowledge of great sociocultural and environmental relevance. In the context of education, whether basic, technical, or technological, recognizing and valuing this knowledge can strengthen contextualized and integrative pedagogical practices. With this in mind, this dissertation's main objective was to develop an interdisciplinary educational product based on the perceptions of students at IFAM – Coari Campus about Amazonian vegetable oils, aiming to strengthen the teaching of Environmental Sciences in Basic Education. The proposal is based on the appreciation of traditional knowledge and the pedagogical use of natural elements from the Amazon region, linking them to the principles of contextualized teaching and interdisciplinarity. This study aligns with the United Nations (ONU) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 15, Life on Land, which aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. Furthermore, the proposal also aligns with Goal 4, Quality Education, which focuses on ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education, promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. To this end, an oil library was created, comprising samples of native vegetable oils and educational information on their properties, uses, and cultural and environmental significance. The research adopted a qualitative approach, with methodological strategies such as discussion circles, group dynamics, practical workshops, and interviews with students' families. The target audience was third-year students of the integrated technical program in Agriculture. The activities enabled students' knowledge to be mapped and local traditions related to vegetable oils such as andiroba, copaíba, tucumã, and buriti to be identified. The results indicated that the medicinal, cosmetic, and culinary uses of these oils are deeply rooted in local family and community culture, being passed down orally from generation to generation. The construction and implementation of the 1st IFAM Coari Oil Library favored the integration of content from the areas of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, History, and Arts, fostering meaningful, critical, and environmentally engaged learning. Furthermore, students demonstrated greater engagement in the activities when they were able to relate the school content to their daily experiences. The research also highlighted the need to increase the visibility of Amazonian products in the school environment, often overshadowed by the predominance of industrialized inputs foreign to the local context. The conclusion is that valuing traditional knowledge and incorporating contextualized pedagogical practices strengthen the teaching-learning process and contribute to the development of critical, conscious individuals committed to biodiversity conservation. Future studies are recommended to explore the replication of the oleo library in other institutions in the Amazon and Brazil, as well as its expansion to different educational levels and rural communities. Such initiatives can contribute to consolidating more inclusive, participatory environmental education aligned with the sociocultural realities of the Amazonian territories